Six ancient Egyptian tombs opened near Cairo

Six ancient Egyptian tombs dating from the Tutankhamun era have been officially opened to the public at Saqqara, 30 km south of Cairo. The 3,000 year-old vaults were re-opened at a ceremony presided over by minister of state for antiquities Zahi Hawass who described their restoration as "meticulous" and said that glass plates had been used to protect the funerary frescoes.

Two of the tombs were erected to house the remains of Tutankhamun's treasurer Maia and the commander in chief of his army Horenheb, who succeeded Tutankhamun as pharaoh, becoming the last ruler of the 18th dynasty. However, although Horenheb's wife is buried in the tomb, after becoming pharaoh the former general had a tomb built for himself in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

Saqqara is one of the oldest burial sites in Egypt and is home to several royal pyramids.

In March last year archaeologists working there unearthed the intact sarcophagus of Egypt's Queen Behenu inside her 4,000-year-old burial chamber near her pyramid.

Egypt says it has lost $2.27 billion in tourism revenue in the three months since the uprising that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.